1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to devices for holding and displaying documents and other items in an office environment, and more specifically, to a system for mounting various office paraphernalia upon a personal computer monitor.
2. Description of the Background Art
The modern office environment rewards those who are most efficient in every respect. Efficient use of office space allows workers to be more productive, and thereby increase profits and worker happiness. The typical modern office space, whether in a corporate environment or a home office, now has a personal computer, or PC. The PC has become as indispensable as the phone, fax or file cabinet, in the modern office environment. A fill PC system typically is comprised of a PC monitor, a keyboard, a box or tower containing the computer, and a printer for receiving output from the computer.
A PC system can take up a considerable amount of desktop space and reduce the space available for laying paper, pads, diskette holders, and other items which compete for space in the office environment. Furthermore, in many large corporate environments, there has been a tendency to partition workers into cubicles having a minimal amount of space available for working effectively, in an effort to save costs and increase profits. Therefore, with space in each cubicle at a premium, new methods for increasing office space are always being investigated. One possible way for increasing space has been to use the various PC components as a platform for mounting office items in an effort to save space or increase office efficiency.
The market has produced many after-market or add-on accessories for these various computer components, which are designed to save space, increase visual appearance, or increase office efficiency. Of these components, the PC monitor has spawned the most add-on accessories due to its close proximity to the worker, namely directly within the worker's reach and line of sight.
An example of such an add-on accessory is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,235, issued to Crowther et al., which discloses a document holder for mounting to a PC monitor comprised of an adjustable clamp for attaching to a PC monitor, and a pair of outward-extending clipboards mounted to the sides of the adjustable clamp. This device allows for documents to be mounted to the clipboards for easy reading or copying.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,327, issued to Hegarty et al., discloses a universal document support PC monitor stand. This device is comprised of a horizontal monitor stand having at least one slotted side member coupled perpendicularly to the monitor stand, wherein the side member communicates with the sides of the PC monitor. A plurality of slots imparted into the side member at different heights allow for an armature to be mounted at varying heights, corresponding to a worker's eye level. At the end of the armature can be mounted a clipboard for holding documents.
While the previous devices have made an effort toward saving space by providing a means for mounting documents upon a PC monitor, these devices have fallen short of maximizing the concept of space saving. Specifically, none of these devices have considered mounting an entire office system upon a PC monitor which could not only hold documents, but hold pens, cards, calculators and other office paraphernalia, as well as mount photographs or a mirror, for allowing a worker to maintain a professional office appearance. Additionally, the previous devices have used a series of bulky clamps, or unattractive slotted members, to mount accessories. As a result, these previous devices do not possess a good aesthetic appearance, and in many respects add to the cluttered appearance of an office.
Therefore, a need exists for an entire system which utilizes a PC monitor as a mounting surface, and which allows a plurality of office paraphernalia to be mounted interchangeably thereon. This system would ideally result in a space savings, increase worker efficiency, and have an aesthetic appearance, all in one.
The foregoing patents and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and is tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information which may be pertinent to the patentability of the present invention. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information does not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.